Billing & FAQ

About Your Bill

Dickinson County EMS recently provided service to you or your family. We hope you found our service to be prompt and our personnel professional and caring. Our department strives to provide excellent pre-hospital care and transportation to the citizens of our communities as well as visitors.

If you have supplied insurance information we will file your claim for you. Your bill will reflect the patent's responsibility after payment and/or consideration that was made by your insurance provider. If you have not received notice from your insurance company stating they have made a payment to us for your service or notified you that they have considered the claim, then you will need to contact us with your insurance information. If you ever have questions regarding your bill, please call 785-263-0716. Our billing staff will gladly review the account to verify we have the correct information.

If you have no insurance or do not provide us with the necessary insurance information you are responsible for the total amount due. Payment is due immediately upon receipt of the bill. Acceptable methods of payment are cash, check, money order, debit cards, MasterCard, Visa, Discover Card, and American Express (a 2.5% service fee will be added for credit card payments). A patient can also make payment arrangements by calling 785-263-0716.

Dickinson County EMS understands the financial difficulties that can come following emergency medical care. Our billing department personnel do all they can to assist patients through the process of insurance reimbursement and billing. Please contact our billing department staff with any questions you may have regarding your bill.

Frequently Asked Questions

"Why do I have to pay for a public service like EMS? Don't I already pay taxes for that?"
In an attempt to lower the burden on the taxpayers of our community, a portion of the cost of our services is charged to the patients utilizing our service.

"Why didn't Medicare cover my ambulance bill?"
Unfortunately, Medicare does not always cover ambulance charges to the hospital. It is important to remember that Medicare is a benefit, not an insurance plan. Medicare determines whether an ambulance trip is "medically necessary" by an established set of guidelines. Many factors contribute to the decision made by Medicare.

"What do I do if Medicare does not pay my ambulance bill?"
If Medicare does not cover your ambulance bill, you have the right to file for a Medical Review with Medicare. This process will be explained in the remittance notice the patient receives from Medicare in the mail. Filing for a Medical review does not guarantee that Medicare will reverse their original decision, but it is an option to all patients covered under Medicare.

"Why wasn't a claim filed with my secondary insurance company after Medicare denied my claim?"
Most patients have insurance coverage secondary to Medicare. However, most of these secondary insurance policies are Medicare Secondary Supplement Policies, such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield Plan 65. The secondary insurance coverage plans will only cover balances after Medicare pays their coverage rates. Therefore, if Medicare does not cover the charges, then neither will most of the secondary insurance plans. If Medicare is aware of your supplemental insurance, they will send notification of their payment to your secondary. Our billing department will submit a secondary claim on your behalf, provided we have your secondary insurance information and it is correct.

"The hospital filed with my insurance company, so why didn't Dickinson County EMS?"
If the patient receives a bill for their ambulance transport without insurance being filed, it is most likely because the EMS billing department does not have complete insurance information on file for the patient. Please contact the billing office at 785-263-0716. Once all insurance information is on file with our billing department, we will gladly file the claim with your insurance provider.
"What if I can't pay the total amount?"
If you cannot pay the total amount you owe for our services, please contact our billing department and we will help work out a payment plan for you.

"Will a patient be denied service if he/she does not have insurance?"
No. The ability to pay will never be considered when rendering emergency medical service. The ambulance will be dispatched as appropriate regardless of ability to pay.
"How do I know what Medicare will cover?"
You can view benefits and coverage by visiting Medicare.gov.